Automobile cushion bumper

ABSTRACT

An automobile cushion bumper in which an inner bumper bar and an outer bumper bar are separated by a plurality of air bags positioned to absorb the shock of a collision on the outer bumper bar. In a modified form of the invention a plurality of bumper bars are separated by shock absorbing springs with the outer pair of bumper bars being separated by a plurality of air bags for absorbing the shock of collision.

niterl States Patent 1 Hornsby July 24, 1973 AUTOMOBILE CUSHION BUMPER[76] Inventor: Guyton Ellis Hornsby, 4001 Rose Ln., Annandale, Va. 22003[22] Filed: Oct. 15,1971

[21] Appl. No.: 189,593

[52] CI. 293/88, 293/86 [51] Int, Cl. B60r 19/10 [58] Field of Search293/71 R, 71 P, 85,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,144,357 1/1939 Booharin293/86 3,187,710 6/1965 Wilfert 1,032,690 7/1912 McGreg'or.... 2,236,5074/1941 Kreitz 293/71 P 1,521,579 12/1924 Freedman 293/85 X 1,096,6095/1914 Dodge 3,203,722 8/1965 Zahorodny.....

Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerRobert SaiferAttorney-John B. Dickman [57] ABSTRACT 1 Claim, 6 Drawing FiguresIIIIIII/IIILI J fi 1. o x 7 -IIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYJV 1111 1111/11/11 36 37Patented July 24, 1973 3,747,968

/0 FIG. 2; r 22 9 7 4 /./c5 ra in1 III/1" f If I #fifis .4' 2,; H g1111111111111 I I L, 5 '7 aa FIG 5 6 33 4/ 55 QMW AGENT.

AUTOMOBILE CUSHION BUMPER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THEINVENTION The present invention relates to automobile bumpers forcushioning the shock of collision.

I SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An automobile bumper in which .a pair ofbumper 1 bars are arranged in spaced apart parallel relation andseparated by a plurality of shock absorbing air bag cushions. The outerbumper bar is supported on pins which slide through the inner bumper baronimpact.

In a modified form of the invention a plurality of inner bumper barsseparated by shock absorbing springs support an outer bumper bar withshock absorbing air bag cushions separating the outer bumper bar fromthe outer most of the inner bumper bars.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a shock absorbingautomobile bumper utilizing air bags 4 as the shock absorbing elements.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of theinvention shown partially broken away and in section for convenience ofillustration;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the invention shown partially-broken awayand in section for convenience of illustration;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken alongthe line 3-3 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken alongthe line 44 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention shownpartially broken away and in section for convenience of illustration;and

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along the line 6-6 ofFIG. 5,'looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings indetail, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughoutthe several figures, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally acushion bumper constructed in accordance with the invention.

The cushion bumper 10 is adapted for use with an automobile of the typehaving a frame 11 having forwardly extending bumper' bracket members 12rigidly secured thereto. A pair of converging bumper braces 13 aresimilarly secured to the frame 11 and extend forwardly therefrom. Thebumper brackets 12 and braces 13 terminate in a straight line and havean inner bumper bar 14 secured thereto extending transversely of theframe 11. The inner bumper bar 14 has a plurality of bores 15 formedtherein for reasons to be assigned.

A plurality of bores 16 somewhat larger then the bores 15 are similarlyformed in the bar 14 forreasons to be assigned.

Channel shaped outer bumper bar 17 is arranged parallel to the innerbumper bar 14 and has a plurality of pins 18 pivotally secured to theinner face thereof on cars 19. The pins 18 are threaded at 20 at theirinner ends to receive nuts 21. The pins 18 extend through the bores 15in the bars 14 and the nuts 21 secure them therein so they mayreciprocate in the bores 15 as the outer bumper bar 17 moves withrelation to the inner bumper bar 14. The pivotal mounting of the pins 18permit one end of the outer bumper bar to be moved toward the innerbumper bar with the opposite end re- 0 maining extended.

An air bag 22 is positioned between the inner bumper bar 14 and theouter bumper bar 17 and is provided with an inflation valve 23 whichextends through the bore 16. An air bag 24 is positioned between theinner bumper bar 14 and the outer bumper bar 17 centerly thereof and hasan air inflation valve 25 which extends through the bore 16 in thecenter of the inner bumper bar 14.

In the use and operation of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1through 4 the air bags 22, 24 provide a cushion between the outer bumperbar 17 and the inner bumper bar 14 so that in the case of a collisionthe outer bumper bar 17 will move toward the inner bumper bar 14 guidedby the pins 18 compassing the air bags 22, 24 to thus absorb a greatdeal of the shock that will otherwise result.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6 a modified cushion I bumper isillustrated generally at 30.

The bumper 30 includes bumper brackets 31 and bumper braces 32 ofconventional design which extend forwardly from a motor vehicle frame(not shown). An inner bumper bar 33 extends transversely of the bracket31 and braces 32 and is secured to the forward ends thereof. The innerbumper bar 33 has bores 34 formed therein on oppsotie sides thereof forreasons to be assigned.

An outer channel shaped bumper bar 35 is supported on a pair of pins 36which pivotally secured to the outer bumper bar 35 between a pair ofears 37 to which they are secured by a pivot pin 38. The pins 36 extendthrough the bore 34 in the bumper bar 33 and has a head 39 formed on itsinner end to prevent the pin 36 from becoming dislodged from the innerbumper bar 33. A roller bearing 40 is rigidly secured to the innerbumper bar 33 surrounding the bore 34 to provide an anti-frictionmounting for the pin 36. A secondary inner bumper bar 41 is mounted onthe pin 36 and has anti-friction bearings 42 rigidly secured thereto toprovide an antifriction mounting for the pin 36. A tertiary inner bumperbar 43 is mounted on the pins 36 and similarly is provided with bearings44 to provide an anti-friction mounting for the pins 36.

A coil spring 45 is positioned on the pins 36 separating the innerbumper bar 33 and the secondary inner bumper bar 41. Compression coilsprings 46 are mounted on the pins 36 separating the secondary innerbumper bar 41 and the tertiary inner bumper bar43.

A plurality of air bags 47 are positioned between the outer bumper bar35 and the tertiary inner bumper bar 43 and have the inflation valvestems 48 extending through the tertiary inner bumper bar 43 to permitconventional inflation thereof.

In theuse and operation of the modification illustrated in FIG. 6 theouter bumper bar in collision will compress both the springs 45, thesprings 46 and the air bags 47 to absorb the impact of the collision toprevent injury to the occupants of the motor vehicle.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

,1. A cushion automobile bumper comprising an inner supporting bumperbar rigidly secured to the frame of a motor vehicle, a channel shapedouter bumper bar positioned in spaced parallel relation to the innerbumper bar, a plurality of other inner bumper bars arranged in spacedparallel relation between said inner supporting bumper bar and saidouter bumper bar, means pivotally mounted on said outer bumper bar forsupportbars and being supported on the pivoted pins.

1. A cushion automobile bumper comprising an inner supporting bumper barrigidly secured to the frame of a motor vehicle, a channel shaped outerbumper bar positioned in spaced parallel relation to the inner bumperbar, a plurality of other inner bumper bars arranged in spaced parallelrelation between said inner supporting bumper bar and said outer bumperbar, means pivotally mounted on said outer bumper bar for supportingsaid outer bumper bar and said inner bumPer bars on said innersupporting bumper bar, a plurality of equidistantly spaced,longitudinally aligned, inflatable air bags positioned between saidouter and the first of said inner bumper bars for absorbing collisionshocks on said outer bumper bar, said means for supporting the bumperbars on the inner supporting bar comprising pins pivotally secured tosaid outer bumper bar and slidably mounted through said inner bumperbars, and additional shock absorbing means comprising coil springsmounted between the plurality of inner bumper bars and being supportedon the pivoted pins.